WDW w/16m old

[Maria K]

DS will be 16 months old when we go to WDW this July. We're staying at the Swan or Dolphin and we don't plan to leave WDW property. I plan to have DS sit in my lap for the plane ride and then we have a shuttle to get us to the hotel and back.
I called the shuttle company about a car seat and they said they can request one but can't guarantee that one will be available. She said that FL law doesn't require one for shuttles.
I'm considering getting a Baby B'air (I used the smaller size and liked having an extra hand).
I'd rather not take a car seat if I don't need one, but putting DS in a car/shuttle without one makes me nervous. DH says I'm over thinking things and that he'll be fine in my lap and that if I got a Baby B'air I could strap him to me with that.
What do you all think?
- Maria

[momtoB]

I recommend bringing the car seat and using it on the plane. At that age, my ds would have been hard to keep under control on the plane without his car seat. I don't know how long your flight(s) are but if you can't get your ds to sit still on your lap for 10mins at home, imaging what the plane ride will be like!

Baby B'aires are not "FAA approved" as some would like you to believe. You cannot use one on taxi, take off, or landing (FAA rule, which airlines must follow). So basically, all it does is keep kiddo from hitting the ceiling if you hit rough turbulence. Also, they have just enough "tether" on them that the child could still hit the back of the seat in front of you or become a "human air bag" under the right circumstances. The FAA strongly encourages parents to take a CRS on board for children under 40lbs, or 22-44lbs for kids that are using a CARES harness (newly approved safety restraint for children in their own seat).

FAA child safety on airplanes
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly%5Fchildren/crs/
Child Safety on Airplanes http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplanetravel.aspx (see the car seat installation tips near the bottom)
CARES site: http://www.kidsflysafe.com/

As far as the shuttle rides goes, I don't think you're over thinking things at all! That is a minimum 30min ride, almost all highway (going over 50mph). We have used Magical Express which is a Mears Coach Bus and THAT makes me a little nervous, however much less so because busses are statistically safer, they have shear size on their side, and they utilize compartmentalization. Benefits you don't have in a smaller vehicle like a shuttle van or taxi. So I guess it depends on your threshold of what you find acceptible.

In the past, when we've traveled to WDW and once to DL, even when we didn't use a car while on property, we still took our car seat along for the plane ride and too and from the airport and while it may seem like a hassle, IMO it was worth it knowing my ds was safe.

Using a Taxi: http://www.thecarseatlady.com/taxis/using_taxis.html

Something else to consider - you might want to rent a car for a day (I believe it's the Dolphin that has a National Car Rental desk, which would be convenient for you) and if you already have a CRS then you won't have to rent one.

Oh and if you're still with me ;-) if you haven't booked your flights yet and you just can't afford a ticket for your dc, then I suggest you book a window seat and an aisle seat with an empty one in between. If the flight isn't full that seat will be much more likely to not fill up. At the gate you can request an "infant block" on the seat and you will be able to use it for free (check w/your airline - it's usually on their website FAQ somewhere - but most will allow this). Of course, for a flight into Orlando, it's likely to be full but it's worth a try. If the flight is full, you can gate check your car seat (doesn't count against luggage total). Get a plastic bag from the front desk when you check your luggage just in case. And as far as the seating assignments go, most people would gladly switch a window or aisle seat for a middle one, so you shouldn't have any problems sitting together as a family.

hth and have a great trip!
Cheryl
ds-4/21/03 (43 days until his 7th trip to WDW!!)